


How Many Times

by TheLastShadow



Category: Lab Rats (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Body Horror, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 20:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6092778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLastShadow/pseuds/TheLastShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Douglas sets out on his own when he doesn't feel welcome in the Davenport household. A week after he leaves, Donald starts to worry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the story and the title were inspired by the song _"How Many Times"_ by Mushroomhead.
> 
>  
> 
> **Spoilers for season 3.**
> 
>  
> 
> The reason it took so long to post this here was due to the lack of update.
> 
>  **Originally published on ff.net:**  
>  9-08-2014
> 
> Un-beta'd

Douglas grimaced as he looked around the large, almost bare room. Sure, staying in his brother's guest room had its perks but that's all he'd ever be, a guest. He thought back on the choices he made in life knowing he deserved it though. It was his own fault he ruined his brother's life more than once and tried to tear his family apart. Sometimes he wished Donald would just cave in and treat him like a brother again instead of a stranger.

Over the passing months their relationship had gotten better but it still felt strained. Even his relationship with Leo seemed better than those with the rest of the Davenport family. He shook himself and decided to focus on the now and present. He lifted his duffel thinking it was pathetic how his life fit in one bag whereas before he needed a whole collection of luggage just for his day clothes.

_'Oh, how the mighty have fallen.'_

Douglas made his way through the house and down the stairs. He knew he'd miss the sound of laughter and his brother's eccentricities but he tried not to dwell on that. It would just make it harder to leave. He's almost out the front door before someone called him.

"Douglas? Are you leaving?"

He turned to see Leo looking at him strangely.

"More importantly what are you wearing?"

Douglas admitted he looked like an idiot with his wannabe beach bum attire but it was part of the plan. He was just glad it was Leo and not someone else that caught him.

He smiled, slipping off his sunglasses, "A friend invited me to join her on a cruise to the Caribbean and I thought I'd let her treat me."

"So," Leo grinned, "finally fell into Principal Perry's web of pant suits?"

Douglas recoiled, "No!"

"Yeah, yeah," the boy waved him away, "how long are you going to be on this _cruise_ with your _lady_ friend?"

"It's a four day cruise," he ignored Leo's smile, "I'm on my way to the airport right now and if my flight's on time I'll be there before the ship boards tomorrow. After all the drama these past few months I think I deserve it. See you in a few!"

He was out the door with his bag over his shoulder when Leo yelled for him to wait.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to everyone?"

Douglas deflated a little before he replied, "It's not like I won't come back. Besides, they're all busy right now. I heard their handler finally gave the kids a week off so they should enjoy it without having to worry about me."

"Alright," Leo made a face, not quite believing him.

"Here," Douglas took off his watch, "I'd hate to lose it while I'm out having fun. Be careful with it, alright?

"Whoa! What does it do? Does it shoot lasers or-"

"No," Douglas rolled his eyes, "It's just a watch. It was a gift from Donnie when we were kids so take care of it. Tell the others I'm sorry I didn't say bye in person. Take care of everyone while I'm gone."

The sound of a car honking impatiently at the end of the driveway ruined the moment. With his free hand Douglas patted the boy on the shoulder before walking away. By the time he closed the car door Leo already had the watch around his wrist and was waving goodbye.

Nobody mentioned Douglas' name until after dinner. They all knew he had a tendency to get caught up in the lab like Davenport. More than once they'd felt his wrath for being disturbed during one of his 'genius' moments so they figured they'd leave him be.

However, Leo told them he wasn't in the lab and recounted the story Douglas told him of a mystery woman and a cruise. Donald sighed because he hoped his brother stayed out of trouble while traveling. The last thing he needed was another call from jail. He didn't want another Mardi Gras incident.

**-o-**

Davenport questioned Leo at the beginning of the second week.

"He said the cruise would last four days but he didn't give me a specific date on when he'd be back."

**-o-**

By the end of the third week Donald started getting antsy. He dug for information, anything that would show him Douglas' location. He scowled when he saw there were no flights from the closest airport heading to Florida the day his brother left. Another quick search also revealed there weren't any scheduled trips to the Caribbean until the following month by any of the major cruise lines. He hacked all the security cameras in the area hoping one of them caught sight of where his brother was headed.

**-o-**

Almost two months had passed and no word from Douglas.

Leo fingered the watch guiltily thinking it was his fault for letting the man leave before questioning him more. He fidgeted as he stared at Chase from the doorway feeling a twinge of anxiousness crawl through him. Chase was on his hundredth scan of Douglas' room. He painstakingly searched the room from one wall to the other in case Douglas left anything behind.

**-o-**

Time seemed to speed up.

Davenport felt his gut clench as the months piled up and they still hadn't found anything.

**-o-**

"Big D!"

Donald ignored the yelling.

"Big D! It's about Douglas!"

Donald tripped and almost knocked his chair over in his haste. He ran to Leo already seeing the others crowded around him in confusion. Leo handed him the watch he'd been wearing since Douglas' disappearance.

"The time stopped and I was trying to fix it. When I moved this," the boy twisted the button on the side, "this came out."

Everyone stared in awe as the watch opened to reveal a blinking blue chip. They scrambled to the lab, staring nervously as Chase and Donald worked on the encrypted chip. Tasha didn't have the heart to make the others go to school that day with all the stress so they stayed home.

After several days they finally removed the firewalls and gained access to the hidden files. Davenport's eyes widen when he saw all the information his brother kept when he created Adam, Bree, and Chase. He awed at the degree of meticulous step by step planning Douglas went through to create their bionics. He squinted trying to read the side notes and memos scrawled on the edges of blueprints pointing out flaws and improvements. Near the end there was even a list of bionics each chip contained, some of which aren't accessible due to young age.

A few files contained collections of weapons and hideouts stashed around the world. One marked as 'Classified' had a list of well-known criminals Douglas worked with in the past followed by blackmail for each as a precaution.

"Mr. Davenport?" Chase looked uncertain, "Some of these files have voice recordings."

Chase brought them up with a flick of a wrist. He pointed at the time stamp in the corner.

"They were recorded after he left the mansion."

Donald searched deeper until he was able to find the coordinates from where Douglas was sending the voice recordings. He frowned at the erratic travel pattern and wondered what the hell was going on.

"What's that?"

Davenport followed Leo's finger to where he pointed at a screen. The last signal was headed to their doorstep. It was a frenzy as everyone rushed upstairs to see who could reach the front door first. When they opened it they found a small brown package. Adam picked it up without a second thought and even shook it out of curiosity.

Donald took it from him and motioned for Chase to be ready with a force field. After the wrappings were removed he carefully lifted the top before feeling faint. His stomach churned and his eyes swelled with tears. He barely heard the others question him and he tried his best to compose himself. He closed the box containing the crushed watch identical to the one Leo wore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Originally published on ff.net:**  
>  9-11-2014
> 
> Un-beta'd

Why hadn't he questioned Leo about the watch sooner? Why hadn't he noticed the watch at all? Especially when it looked like the one he'd given Douglas after their father died. Looking at them side by side, Davenport could see both had the same gunmetal gray dial and a leather strap but only the broken one was engraved with Douglas' full name.

If he'd paid more attention he'd have known something was off. He should have realized his brother never took it off his person. Even when Douglas was evil, he still wore the leather wrap around his wrist. If he hadn't been so careless he would have examined the fake watch and found the chip sooner. He would've rigged it to reverse the signal and communicated with his brother.

He clutched the broken one trying not to throw up at the unpleasant thoughts. The damaged time piece was probably a warning, meaning something terrible happened. Who could have done this? What if he missed his chance to find him?

Leo had told him there hadn't been anything unusual about the fake watch. According to his step son, he'd had it tested after Douglas gave it to him. The readings had marked it as a regular watch. His brother was a genius for making something like this undetectable.

"Are you alright, Mr. Davenport?"

Donald cleared his throat, "Yeah, go ahead."

Everyone held their breath when they heard Douglas' voice through the garble of static.

________________________________________

**Month 1  
**  
Audio File 001:

_"Okay, Donnie, before you say anything, my plan sounded way better in my head. I was hoping to find more info on Krane by going to some of his abandoned labs. After he made S-1 I figured it'd be a good idea to make sure he didn't have more bionics working for him. I know I should have told you where I was headed but you haven't been easy to approach. I don't blame you for brushing me off when I tried to hang out with you and the kids. I lost that privilege a long time ago._

_"Ah, well, I wasn't expecting to get caught. Bad move on my part. I think the local gangs moved in after they realized Krane was out of the picture. I didn't get a good look at the ones who caught me but I can hear them talk now and then. They picked me up somewhere off the coast of Japan, maybe, I can't really remember right now. I think I have a concussion. The chip should give you my coordinates, though."_

**Month 1  
Audio File 002:**

_"They've kept me in a storage locker for a few days. They don't bother to feed me so I'm not a priority. Not to mention these hooligans are as bad as Krane and tend to pound me if I make too much noise or if I'm too quiet. At least they know how to spread the pain._

_"I think we're leaving pretty soon because there's been a lot of movement outside. I overheard them say something about a 'switch'? Not sure -"_

Loud scraping in the background caused Douglas to trail off. The sound of flesh hitting flesh startled everyone in the lab. Davenport tried to amplify the recording but all they heard were whispers and the echo of footsteps for the next few hours.

**Month 1  
Audio File 003:**

_"Next time I'll leave the reconnaissance missions to the kids. They probably wouldn't get caught and they'd have a higher success rate of escaping. Ugh, my head is killing me. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a good idea for me to sleep with this head wound._

_"Um, I'm underground? How cliché is that?_

_"They took my tools away, too, otherwise I would've tried picking the locks. The walls are made of rock but I can't tell what kind. It's dark in here, no windows. It's big enough for me to stretch my legs out but I can't reach the ceiling. I think the chains holding me down are giving me a rash. If I don't die of starvation, dehydration, or an infection then I'll freeze to death."_

**Month 1  
Audio File 004:**

_"I got a visit from one of them. Couldn't have been older than Bree or Chase from what I saw. Beat me up pretty good, too. She was quiet the whole time. She didn't ask me anything and she didn't acknowledge any of my questions either. She checks up on me every once in a while to rough me up. Looks like she's my only guard. They started feeding me so I have that at least."_

**Month 1  
Audio File 005:**

_"Never mind, the food has sedatives."_

**Month 1  
Audio File 006:**

_"Ha, I've gotten two beatings for not eating. Same girl and another guy took turns on me. They're focusing on the right wrist. Lucky for me I'm ambidextrous. At least they haven't taken my watch. This is bad, Donnie, you have to hurry."_

**Month 1  
Audio File 007:**

_"What's taking you so long? Don't tell me you haven't busted my watch open for clues. Are you taking your time to teach me a lesson? God, you're such a dick, Donnie! I could die down here!"_

**Month 1  
Audio File 008:**

_"I'm sorry that was out of line."_

**Month 1  
Audio File 009:**

_"Seriously, if you haven't decrypted my chip yet I'm going to be really disappointed. I know I'm a better programmer than you but c'mon! What happened to the great Donald Davenport?"_

**Month 1  
Audio File 010:**

_"No! No sto-!"_

Douglas screamed and Davenport turned it off.

________________________________________

Donald tried not to panic. In one month Douglas was tortured almost daily. He almost stopped himself from opening the rest of the files from the first month knowing it would only be worse. His brother had been in danger this whole time and he hadn't done anything.  
He was angry at Douglas for being foolish but he was angry at himself, too. His brother might already be dead and it was all his fault.

**-o-**

Davenport felt nervous as his hand hovered over the play button. He fiddled with his pen, waiting for the others to leave the lab. After listening to the audio files from the first month he'd forbidden anyone from accessing the rest. He had gone so far as to lock them out until he finished listening to everything. He took a deep breath and steeled himself ready for what he knew would come.

________________________________________

**Month 2  
**  
Audio File 001:

Donald jerked in his seat when he heard Douglas yell in pain. There were muffled voices in the background but they were too low to distinguish. Davenport wanted to fast forward through the sounds of agony but he stopped himself. There might be clues hidden somewhere so he willed himself to listen until his brother fell silent.

**Month 2  
Audio File 002:**

_"I was supposed to tell you something..."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 003:**

_"I'm not doing too well, Donnie. My eye is still swollen shut and my head's bleeding. Not sure what's going on either. They haven't visited me in a while except to give me food and water. I'm just... I'm going to lie down for a bit."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 004:**

_"It hurts to move and it hurts to breathe. I think I'm going insane down here. Too many thoughts in my head or maybe not enough."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 005:**

_"The dosage they're feeding me is stronger now. It knocks me out for a long time and keeps me drowsy. Oh, hey, I've gotten popular lately. A few more joined in on the fun."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 006:**

_"Remember the time the neighbor's dog ate your Jo Jo Bings action figure? I threw it in the lake and blamed it on Casey."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 007:**

_"Actually, I threw all of your action figures in the lake after you destroyed mine. Sorry."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 008:**

_"I think I sprained my ankle when they tossed me in a crate. They've been driving for most of the day. My eye sight is really bad. I have no idea where I am or where we're headed. Worst vacation ever."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 009:**

_"They're going through a lot of trouble just to keep me here and in constant pain. They don't even question me! They want me alive for something. Whatever happens don't agree to anything if they try to use me against you guys."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 010:**

Douglas gasped in pain and Donald heard something dragging.

_"Donnie, please-"_

A loud noise in the background made Douglas go silent and woman's voice echoed in the rock prison, _"Who are you talking to?"_

_"None of your business!"_ Douglas sounded angry.

_"Maybe I should break your other wrist."_

Douglas snorted.

_"Or I can cut out your tongue."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 011:**

There was heavy breathing and coughing for three hours.

**Month 2  
Audio File 012:**

_"My knee feels better today. The sedatives in the food help numb down the pain."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 013:**

_"It's getting colder at night. I wish they'd give me a blanket or something."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 014:**

_"Not to rush you or anything but they're starting to get creative with their little sessions. I guess they're tired of using me as a punching bag."_

**Month 2  
Audio File 015:**

_"Something tells me you still haven't confiscated my watch from Leo."_

________________________________________

Donald felt sick.

Listening to his brother trying to brush off the pain seemed to break something inside of him. He felt useless just sitting in the lab. After listening to his brother in pain he knew he wouldn't sleep anytime soon.

He played the recordings from the third month.

________________________________________

**Month 3  
**  
Audio File 001:

_"I think I'm hallucinating. I swear one of them was Marcus."_

**Month 3  
Audio File 002:**

_"I loved him, you know? He was my son for a long time. I didn't want to make him at first but I got tired of being lonely. I was such a terrible father to him. I didn't even use the Triton app on him and he stayed anyway. He was the best kid anyone could ever ask for. God, I'm an idiot."_

**Month 3  
Audio File 003:**

_"It's not Marcus."_

**Month 3  
Audio File 004:**

_"Sometimes I think you're trying to figure out how to save me. I don't think you'd be cruel enough to leave me here on purpose. But maybe I deserve this after everything I've done to you. I wish you could forgive me."_

**Month 3  
Audio File 005:**

_"What the hell do you want from me! Let me out! Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!"_

Davenport listened to what he thought was Douglas kicking the walls for a few minutes before it went quiet.

**Month 3  
Audio File 006:**

_"Tell the kids I'm sorry I left. Tell Leo I'm sorry I lied. Looks like Uncle Douglas won't bring any souvenirs this time."_

**Month 3  
Audio File 007:**

_"I'm sorry I was a horrible brother to you, Donnie."_

**Month 3  
Audio File 008:**

_"You're not coming are you?"_

**Month 3  
Audio File 009:**

_"Donnie?"_

**Month 3  
Audio File 010:**

_"Don't tell mom I'm going to die again."_

**Month 3  
Audio File 011:**

For an hour there was only heavy breathing. 

**Month 3  
Audio File 012:**

_"Even if I die, I'm going to kill every last one of you!"_

Davenport sat down unable to process what happened. It sounded like gunfire and screaming before something roared and it was over. A familiar voice said, _"He's ready."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically chapter 2 but from Douglas' point of view.
> 
> !Fun fact! – I used the famous last words generator to decide how to end Douglas' dialogue in the last chapter.
> 
> **Originally published on ff.net:**  
>  9-15-2014
> 
> Un-beta'd

Douglas hung the headphones around his neck and hummed to the music. He pulled the tarp covering various computers to see what he had to work with. The machines were the old clunky kind he remembered working on when he was a kid. It reeked of desperation if Victor had to stoop this low.

"If you like piña coladas," he sang distractedly, "and getting caught in the rain."

At times like these he wished he'd backed up his smooth jazz collection.

He sighed as one screen flickered briefly before it asked for a password. He typed quickly, trying not to set off any alarms or termination sequences. He'd gotten too cocky in the last lab and was almost buried under a pile of rubble for it. He vowed not to make the same mistake again.

Douglas searched for a port to insert his USB before downloading any useful information stored in the machines. He pulled out a map while he waited, crossing out spots in a few countries to plan his next trip. There weren't many but he'd heard of various places Victor had favored before his call to bionics. It wouldn't hurt to scout those areas, too.

He made sure the cyber mask was still in place after removing the drive. The last thing he wanted was for Donald to catch sight of him overseas. If everything went according to plan he'd probably go home at the end of the month.

He scoffed, "Home."

Sometimes it had felt like a prison. He didn't blame Donald's fear of him switching sides but it made things harder. He wasn't even upset over the kid's tendency to never have their backs at him. No one in their right mind would be able to forgive him after all the damage he caused.

Except Leo but he was different.

He unpacked a few explosives and stuck them around various corners of the lab. He fiddled with the countdown timer, making sure to give himself enough time to escape. He didn't notice a cord loop over his head until it tightened around his neck.

**-o-**

He woke up to the sound of metal clanking. His head hurt and would continue to hurt according to the lump on his temple. He pressed a few buttons on his watch until a bright light filled the room. He frowned staring at the metal walls around him.  
Another press of a button sent out a distress signal from his watch to the one he'd given Leo. He didn't doubt Donald had the watch by now. He decided to leave a short message after trying to listen to the voices outside his prison.  
After he realized it would be difficult to escape he sent another message. He would've said more but one of the doors rolled up and everything went black again.

**-o-**

Waking up in the dark was getting old. Douglas grumbled in annoyance when both his temples throbbed in pain. He groaned at the chains keeping his arms far apart. The only way he'd be able to use his watch would be by hitting it against the wall until he could press the correct button to send out another message.

He ignored the metal digging in his skin until the watch beeped confirming his message was sent. He sagged against the wall feeling tired and hungry and desperate to escape.

**-o-**

Douglas flinched when a door opened and bright light poured in. He cringed as black spots danced across his vision. He caught a hazy image of a young woman before a fist connected with his cheek. He gasped feeling blood swell in his mouth.

"Wha-?"

He hunched sideways when another fist hit him square in the ribs.

"Ah! You-!"

She didn't say anything and continued to pelt him in the chest. She turned and left without a word.

**-o-**

She never looked at him in the eye and she never said anything. It continued for days until he got to the point where he couldn't curse at her or try to avoid her punches.

That's when she loosened the chains to feed him. He was too weak and hungry to care about the funny after taste in the gruel. No one said prison food tasted good anyway. However, waking up with his face half buried in the tin bowl made him stop eating. He'd realized the tiredness wasn't from the lack of sleep but from drugs. It wasn't long before his guard noticed his hunger strike and the pain intensified. Getting beaten by one person was bad enough but with two people it was unbearable. Douglas shuddered at the twisted angle of his wrist and sent out another message.

**-o-**

His pain paved the way for his anger. He yelled at his captors, at Donald, and at the walls of his prison. When he became too unruly they escorted him into a different room. It became a game to see who would end up wiping the smirk off his face.

In the beginning, he'd thought these people were from a local gang or even into human slave trafficking. Those thoughts came to a screeching halt when he was dragged past a room of people using bionics.

He forgot to mention it in his messages after a new guard hit him in the throat. He wasn't able to speak for days.

**-o-**

Sometimes they touched his wrist covered by the watch. He was usually on the verge of unconsciousness to really notice. Eventually it became clear to him, they knew what the watch was for. They would record messages of his punishments before sending them out. Sometimes when he lay in agony on his cell floor they'd record his breathing. Douglas hoped the sound of his choked cries would be enough for Donald to hurry.

**-o-**

Eating had become impossible. His jaw was too sore and the holes where he once had teeth ached. He'd almost choked when he was force-fed the new cocktail of drugs and broth. He was just glad the drugs were strong enough to keep him unconscious for long periods of time.

**-o-**

He'd been confused when they removed him from his cell. He wasn't beat when he struggled but his head was covered by a black hood. The smell of fresh air made him dizzy and the heat from the sun burned his exposed skin.

**-o-**

His new prison was made of metal instead of rock. The beatings dwindled down making it easier to heal. Several days later he was able to stand on his own again.

Then he was introduced to the white room.

Throughout his time as a captive he'd expressed many emotions ranging from anger to regret. He had made it a point to never show fear. It was painful, sure, but he had learned to cope. Being strapped down on a table, however, made him feel vulnerable. The things they planted inside of him gave him nightmares. It made him feel abnormal knowing something was embedded deep under his skin.

He tried not to rub the stitches on his neck and shoulders against the walls. So far, he'd been successful in avoiding infections and he planned on keeping it that way. He winced when his skin pinched between the black thread every time he stretched.

**-o-**

He swore the devices inside of him moved.

Several days later the ticking started.

**-o-**

"Marcus?"

He'd stared in shock at the familiar face near the edge of his vision. He fought the restraints keeping his head turned to the side.

"Marcus!"

It turned out to be a figment of his imagination. He should have realized it wasn't Marcus. His son had died a long time ago.

"Marcus, I'm sorry..."

Besides, Marcus wouldn't save him if he were still alive.

**-o-**

_Tick, tick, tick..._

He heard it whisper things.

He felt it burrow inside his mind.

_Tick, tick, tick..._

He'd seen the long metal wires curl under his skin.

He wanted it to stop but he was afraid he'd die if he tore them out with his bare hands.

_Tick, tick, tick..._

He deserved this.

He should have known he would never be able to redeem himself.

The ticking continued.

**-o-**

It was almost too easy to forget he had a family outside the cold walls and blank faces.

It also made it easier to apologize.

He meant it more now than before.

**-o-**

By some miracle he managed to subdue his new guard. The rookie hadn't bothered to keep him chained while he was being transferred to the white room.

Douglas held the strange gun he'd taken from the kid's hip making sure the safety was off. He moved cautiously through the long, brightly lit hallways. He froze when he entered a large empty room and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

The ticking stopped.

He felt movement from an unseen force somewhere to his left. The air current flowing past him slowed and he braced himself. Through narrow eyes he could see the vague outlines of an invisible army standing between him and his way out.

"Donnie," he whispered into the cracked watch.

He wanted to say he loved him or apologize but instead he straightened. A cold sensation spread up his neck and down his arms and legs. He growled angrily, eyes briefly flashing white. His mouth opened to yell but his voice sounded different.

He fired.

**-o-**

Douglas drove in silence, ignoring the soft chatter of voices in the seat behind him.

The passenger beside him looked him over briefly. She tapped the box on her lap and said, "The boss wants you to rendezvous with Squad 2 once you complete your mission. You should be receiving their coordinates."

He twitched involuntarily.

"Are you listening to me, S-86?"

Everything felt cold.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Originally published on ff.net:**  
>  9-25-2014
> 
> Un-beta'd

Davenport was unable to open the audio files for the fourth and fifth months. They were either corrupted or the signal was too weak to transmit any of the recordings. He wasn't even sure Douglas was the one sending messages by that point. The final transmission from the third month was enough to make him doubt he'd find his brother alive or sane.

After listening to the last recording, Donald wasn't able to sit still but he didn't send Adam, Bree, or Chase to the locations. The risk was too high. If the people behind this knew about Douglas' connection to them then they would need a plan first. In the meantime, he took satellite photographs and asked for help from the government.

It took time to sway Agent Graham into helping. Davenport stressed the importance of his brother's life, not just because he was family, but for his inventions. More than once he admitted Douglas was the one who created the bionic chip. Sure, it might mean Douglas would be in trouble with the law but as long as he lived that's all that mattered.  
He'd do anything to see him again.

**-o-**

"Victor Krane and S-1 escaped."

The world stopped as the Davenport family tried to register what the agents were telling them.

"The ones in the cell were decoys, two bionic kids wearing cyber masks and cloaks."

Leo was the first to come out of shock, "Did you question them? Who are they?"

"At this time we're unable to question them. The bionics in their bodies expired and took their lives when they short circuited. The design of their bionics were... different. Almost as if they were meant to self-destruct on purpose."

Leo gaped, "But how did this happen? Weren't they under armed guard?"

"As I've stated earlier, we were unaware. The only explanation we have is the two bionics impersonated the guards and found a way to override the bionic signal interrupter. Unfortunately, we're still not sure when the switch occurred."

Davenport felt the world tip dangerously to one side because this couldn't be happening. Douglas' voice entered his mind, _'I overheard them say something about a 'switch'?'_

Adam caught his arm before he collapsed, pulling him upright into an empty chair. No one said anything when Donald broke down.

**-o-**

The bionic siblings were away more often with a threat like Krane on the loose. The three would've preferred to stay at home but they followed their orders. Their family wasn't the only one in danger of being hurt by the madman. In a worst case scenario, Leo would have to expose his bionics to handle the situation. The thought of Leo fighting someone with more power and unknown number of henchmen still worried them. The siblings felt very protective of their youngest family member.

In a span of days the government had organized backup procedures and sent them to search for any evidence of Krane and his followers. Their first priority was to scout the coordinates Douglas had sent out. Unfortunately, by the time they reached the locations they found black craters instead of secret facilities.

The taste of failure was painful to swallow.

**-o-**

Tasha didn't know what to do anymore. There were too many talks of a possible war breaking out. There was too much talk of death and it made her nervous. She didn't want her children standing on the front lines when Krane attacked.

The children were too serious. Their laughter and smiles were a thing of the past. Their training increased to the point where they almost never had enough time to sleep. The silence in their home was almost deafening.

Worst of all was the change Donald went through. Davenport was inconsolable or eerily silent when they were together. She couldn't stop her worry from escalating seeing him stretch himself thin to find his brother. It hurt her when he blamed himself for Douglas' disappearance and possible death.

"Honey, you need to eat."

Donald ignored her and continued to fiddle with his tablet.

"Donald."

He looked up in surprise. She frowned at the bags under his eyes and the slight shake of his hands.

"Come on, you need to lie down. I'll make you some tea."

Davenport shook his head, "I can't take a break. I'm still going over the schematics the agents recovered from the-"

"Now you listen here," Tasha tore the tablet out his hands and hid it behind her, "You're going upstairs to take a hot bath and I'm going to make you a snack. Then I want you to sleep for at least a few hours.

"No," he said trying to reach around her, "I can't waste any more time. I need to work."

She hugged him when she noticed the unshed tears in his eyes.

"I drove him away," he whispered into her neck.

She spoke to him in hushed tones, holding him in her arms as he continued to grieve. She tried to soothe him but nothing seemed to work.

**-o-**

"What are you guys doing?"

Chase and Leo jumped at the sound of Bree's voice. They leaned back to cover the monitors behind them.

"Bree! Uh-"

"It's so great to see you sis!"

She frowned, "Are you two trying to hack into the recordings? You know Mr. Davenport told us we-"

"Bree," Leo sighed, face becoming serious, "We need to know what happened. Davenport is the only one who's heard them. They might have important clues."

Bree scowled, "He was tortured! You saw the way it left Mr. Davenport! Why-"

Chase stepped forward, "Bree, we have a right to know. He's our family."

Leo asked, "Should we have Adam listen, too?"

"Yeah, he deserves to know, too."

**-o-**

"I don't want to hear anymore."

"Adam-"

"I said I don't want to hear anymore!"

Chase closed the files while Bree went to calm Adam.

**-o-**

Leo heard the alarms go off. He ran as fast as he could down to the lab and burst out of the elevator.  
He gasped between breaths, "What's going on?"

His heart sped up at the sight of red siren lights were flashing and warning signs popping up on several screens. Davenport didn't acknowledge him as he typed quickly trying to formulate a plan. Adam, Bree, and Chase were already suited up and waiting for their orders.

"Several government building are under attack. If I'm right they're heading towards the lower levels to retrieve the bodies of the two bionics. Chase, I'm uploading the layout of the area. I need you to stop anyone from accessing the lower floors. Adam and Bree I need you to capture and detain anyone caught in the higher levels."

"What about the hostages?"

Davenport's face looked grim, "I was able to get access to the cameras inside the building. I only caught sight of three intruders but there might be more. They have cyber masks which means it'll be even more difficult to discern friend from foe."

"We should set up a perimeter here," Chase pulled up a map, "Bree can do a quick sweep of the area before we move into the buildings."

"Hey, what about me?"

Adam stepped forward to place a hand on Leo's shoulder. He shook his head, "No, it's too dangerous. As your older brother I say you stay home."

"But-!"

"No."

Leo frowned as he watched his siblings leave.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's embarrassing how long it's taken me to update this thing. The upside is this is now on AO3 too so there should be no reason for me to forget about it. This chapter was posted on ff.net today.
> 
> Un-beta'd

_"Leader One, this is Red Two, do you copy?"_

"This is Leader One, over."

_"Red Three detected movement from the West. Three bionics and one human, over."_

"Split your team and stop them. Do not get sidetracked from the mission, over."

_"Red Three and Six are moving into position. Red One, Four, and Five are still working on our objective, over."_

"Meet up with Red Three and Six. Report any complications, over."

A rustle from behind caused Leader One to switch off her communicator. She closed her eyes and tried not to cringe as something sharp began to bloom in her mind. A whisper of thoughts brushed hers until she narrowed it down to one voice.

She growled, "What do mean there's another signal from the North?"

She whirled around in irritation to face the newcomer. She almost snarled at the feeling of the others apathy. It almost made her anger threaten to boil up between the mental links.

"Get rid of it. We don't need any more distractions and we don't take prisoners."

The pressure ebbed slightly.

"We need to leave as soon as possible. You know Krane's punishment for failure."

The voice anchored in her mind drew away until it became a low hum.

**-o-**

Leo never said he was the smartest sibling. Well, okay, he _might_ have but he never said he was a nerd like Chase. He liked to think he had some level of intelligence that could rival his brother, though. How else would it explain surviving Davenport's home?

So, while stealing Davenport's chopper might not have been the brightest idea it was still a _good_ idea. He'd missed out on everything and was always left behind but this time he knew he could help. After months of feeling useless and weak he'd finally prove his worth. He hadn't been able to stop his family from falling apart but he'd do everything he could to protect his family and find answers to Douglas' disappearance. 

Leo landed as close as possible to the site without triggering his sibling's alert that he was nearby. He had barely finished hiding the helicopter when he felt a sense of danger. A high pitched noise made him flinch in surprise. No matter how much he tried to block out the noise it kept growing louder and louder with each passing second. Black spots danced across his vision and it took everything to not pass out. 

A neutral voice murmured in the back of his mind, _~Give up.~_

Leo gasped, teeth gritting as the pain intensified. He threw several blasts of energy in random directions hoping the distraction would make the other back off. The pain sharpened as it slowly dug deeper and deeper. It hurt to breathe and it hurt to move. The roar of his blood echoed through his skull but the white noise increased as he tried to fight it. 

_~You're not worth my time. I'm barely even trying just so you know.~_

"Pfft, I can handle this," The dark skinned boy growled, "why don't you come out and show me what you're made of!" 

The shadows twisted before him and a person wrapped in black and silver appeared. The bionic boy scowled upon seeing the face covered in an oddly shaped mask. 

Leo raised an eyebrow, "I must've missed the memo. I would've worn a costume too If I'd known someone was going to dress up like the Shredder." 

The feeling in his brain twisted and he almost lost his footing. 

"Is that the only trick you know? It's starting to get a little old." 

_~You're not worth it.~_

"Oh, yeah?" 

Leo struck forward, hand sparking with energy as he aimed for his opponents face. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as his fist came up. The stranger didn't even move until the last second and side stepped the punch easily. Leo felt sluggish but he willed his body to rotate. He grunted in pain when his leg made contact with the others hip. He hissed as the telepath's grip on his mind intensified now that they were touching. The enemy ripped through his memories faster only to slow when he came across a memory of his family. 

_~Pathetic.~_

Leo wasn't fast enough to dodge the punch to his head. 

**-o-**

Leo bolted upright. He gripped his head with his left hand as pain lanced through him. He took deep breathes to calm down but it wasn't enough to settle the terror. He could still _feel_ the other mind slithering through his memories. His eyes opened but he closed them immediately when a wave of vertigo hit him. After several breathes he opened his eyes again and tried blinking away the blur in his vision. He hissed when he tried to stand only to clench his left fist as pain swept through him. He tried not to panic when he couldn't feel his right arm. It almost felt like his arm was dead! 

He gulped as he finally took in his prison. The cell around him pulsed and shimmered with a dampener. It didn't feel like the interrupters Davenport built. The others still allowed mobility but these cut off everything. 

The bionic boy squinted as he tried to look beyond the waves glittering across the cell bars only to jerk in surprise. The guy in the weird costume was sitting in a cell across from his but the bars shimmered red instead of green like his own. 

Leo smirked, "So, what are you in for?" 

Silence. 

Leo leaned back and grinned, "What? No Jedi mind tricks this time?" 

He tried to egg the other on to get a reaction but the stranger continued to sit eerily still in his cell. 

"You're wasting your time, kid. He's not going to answer you." 

Leo jolted when he heard the voice. 

"Well, well, if it isn't S-Done," He grimaced, head whipping looking for the speaker, "Come to gloat?" 

He frowned when something moved out from behind the stranger. Leo looked confused for moment because he wasn't sure how he could've missed that. How long had she been in the other cell? S-1 gave him an unimpressed look before turning to her silent companion. 

"I knew you were too soft for field work," She sneered, "You should've gotten rid of him like I told you to." 

The masked man cocked his head. 

She smirked, "We don't need his help." 

The stranger twitched and something like understanding flickered across S-1's face. Leo huffed, trying but failing to cross his arms over his chest. He settled for rolling his eyes instead. 

"As if I'd help you two." 

Leo frowned when she grinned, "Oh, really? Well, you see my partner here? He's pretty good at getting what he wants and right now he wants you to help us escape this dump." 

"It's still a no for me." 

"Oh, well, I guess we'll just wait here until Krane comes by to check up on us. I _was_ going to give you information about your poor uncle Dougie," S-1 sighed dramatically and shrugged, "I thought you cared about him. Guess I was wrong then." 

Leo tensed when she turned her back to him. 

"What! W-wait!" 

She looked back over her shoulder, eyebrow raised, "Oh? Did I get your attention?" 

Leo struggled to stand and managed to limp his way closer to the other cell. 

"You know where to find Douglas?" 

S-1 scowled, "Yeah, but if you don't help us get out soon then we'll all be done for." 

"Alright," Leo frowned. It could be a trick and there was a chance she wouldn't tell him anyway if he helped. He nodded reluctantly, "What did you have in mind?" 

"My partner is a telepath and the more minds he's connected to the stronger he becomes. The dampener in our cell is registered to block his abilities if there are two people in this cell not three. Your cell is only strong enough to prevent the use of your right arm." 

Leo watched warily as the masked man placed a hand on S-1's shoulder. 

"I need you to try to break through the netting so I can touch you." 

"Are you telling me we have to hold hands?" Leo grimaced, "That is the dumbest idea I've ever heard and I live with Adam so that should tell you something." 

S-1 groaned, "Just do it and be _quiet_!" 

"I'm still going to take you both in for being Krane's accomplices after we're free. Although given how lame your idea sounds I doubt it'll work." 

The masked man snapped his fingers to gain their attention and stop their bickering. 

She muttered, "Let's just get this over with." 

Even though Leo braced himself it still hurt shoving his arm through the crackling net around his cell. He stretched as far as he could while trying to ignore the pain. Once he broke through he grabbed S-1's wrist when her hand also broke through her cell's netting. Leo shuddered as the creepy, crawly sense of something burrowing deep in his mind grew. He gasped because he could feel the masked man and S-1. He felt S-1 cower under the onslaught of growing power and even he had to stop himself from quailing in fear. The power grew with each passing second and other minds began to link to theirs. Leo gaped because one by one they were all snuffed out quickly and violently. 

_~No more guards.~_

**-o-**

Leo's ears were still ringing from standing too close to the explosions S-1 set off around the buildings holding them hostage. His lungs burned from the smoke but he kept running. He did his best not to lose sight of the masked man and S-1 running in front of him. He couldn't help but fall to his knees and take big breathes when they finally stopped. 

He wheezed, "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" 

He shook his arm trying to get rid of the numb feeling. It was unfair the other two were barely affected by the dampeners. S-1 snorted down at him in annoyance. She shook her head and grumbled something that sounded like an insult. 

"Alright," Leo gasped, "I did my part. Now tell me where to find Douglas!" 

The masked man gripped S-1's neck, fingers digging near the area of her chip. Leo winced when she gave a short pained cry.

The bionic boy took a step towards them, shouting, "Hey! Stop it!" 

He blinked in surprise when the man tore a piece of his clothes to staunch the bloody wound. His eyes narrowed when S-1 stood and did the same to the masked man. 

"We have trackers in our bionic chips and under our skin. The chips are easy to overwrite but the ones in our skin have a self-destruct mechanism if the person with it tries to remove it themselves." 

She reached up and began to untie the straps around the man's head. In one smooth tug she tore the mask and it exposed the man's face. 

"This prison break is now a family reunion, I guess." 

Leo trembled in shock when Douglas' dark eyes stared back. His exhaustion vanished as he took in the pale scar on Douglas' lower lip and the look of indifference aimed at him. He was so caught up in the fact that Douglas was _alive_ that he didn't notice S-1 move closer to Douglas. 

"He says 'thanks for everything' and 'sayonara'!" 

S-1 cackled when she heard Leo's broken cry of grief when they vanished into thin air. 


End file.
